"This monitoring plan for aquatic and riparian resources was developed in response to monitoring needs addressed in the Biological Opinions for bull trout (U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service 1998) and steelhead (U.S. Department of Commerce, National Marine Fisheries Service). It provides a consistent framework for implementing the effectiveness monitoring of aquatic and riparian resources within the range of the Pacific Anadromous Fish Strategy (PACFISH) and the Inland Fish Strategy (INFISH). The primary objective is to evaluate the effect of land management activities on aquatic and riparian communities at multiple scales and to determine whether PACFISH/INFISH management practices are effective in maintaining or improving the structure and function of riparian and aquatic conditions at both the landscape and watershed scales on Federal lands throughout the upper Columbia River Basin. A list of attributes thought to be important in defining aquatic and riparian habitat conditions and their relationship with listed species were identified. The list of attributes was then translated into measurable criteria and compiled to form sampling protocols for both stream channel parameters (Part II) and vegetation parameters (Part III). These sampling methods were tested for variability, and the results are documented in two other publications "Testing Common Stream Sampling Methods for Broad-Scale, Long-Term Monitoring." (Archer and others 2004) and "The Repeatability of Riparian Vegetation Sampling Methods: How Useful Are These Techniques for Broad-Scale Monitoring?" (Coles-Ritchie and others, in preparation). "

Idaho land managers and regulators need knowledge on riparian reference sites. Reference sites are ecological controls that can be used to set meaningful management and regulatory goals. Since 1984, the Idaho Conservation Data Center, Boise, ID, has compiled information in a series of interrelated databases on the distribution and condition of riparian, wetland, and terrestrial plant associations in high quality reference sites in Idaho. This report summarizes association-specific and reference area-specific information from our databases and presents a standardized classification of Idaho riparian and wetland plant associations. Each plant association entry includes the current global and state conservation rank, and the plant association's occurrence in reference areas (if any). This is followed by a summary of each reference area, arranged by ecoregional Province and Section. Summary information includes location, management responsibility, site description, and a list of all riparian and wetland associations that occur in the area.